How do I close Background applications in Windows XP?It is strongly recommended to turn off all background applications when running graphically intensive programs. Many applications can cause errors such as GPFs, color scrambling, loss of sound effects or music, etc. Taking a minute to turn off these applications can save you the trouble of rebooting later. Background applications include such things as System Agent, Norton Utilities, Internet chat utilities, virus checkers and screen savers. Crash guard programs such as First Aid for Windows can also cause problems.

First, press CTRL+ALT+DEL once. This will bring up the Windows Security dialog box. Click on the Applications button. In Applications screen, highlight one of the entries, then click on the End Task button to close the program. Repeat until this list is empty.

Next, look in the lower right hand corner. Right click on any of the icons and select the Quit/Exit option. Do this to all of the icons that have a quit option.

You can shut them down also by using msonfig.

Go to Start, Run, and type in "msconfig".

Click OK

On the General Tab, choose Selective Startup. Uncheck the option to Load Startup items.

Your CD-ROM drive may be having trouble reading the disc. This is common on some 8X (eight speed) CD-ROM drives.

Your CD-ROM drive may be getting old or worn.

Your CD-ROM may not be properly installed in Windows.

First, check your CD for any dirt, fingerprints, smudges or scratches. To clean your CD, wipe it gently with a soft cloth, moving in smooth strokes from the center hub to the outer edge of the CD. If your CD looks fine, replace it in the drive and see if you continue to have this problem. If the problem persists, please try testing the drive with a different CD.

After making these changes, you will need to click Apply & OK and then restart the computer for these changes to take effect.

After installing the game, please Run Msconfig again and reselect the Normal Startup option (or the original options you had selected) and click Apply & OK and restart the computer to return to your original startup configuration.

Error Installing: Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)Programs running in the system tray can sometimes cause conflicts with DirectX games. These programs can also take up system resources which may need to be freed up for the application to run smoothly. The system tray runs on the side of the taskbar (the bar with the "START" button). These icons are programs that are running on your system, some of them loading at start up. Some of these programs can be shut down by right-clicking on the icon, and choose to Exit, Close, Suspend or Disable the program/utility. Others can only be shut down by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL which brings up Windows Security, click on the Task Manager button near the bottom of this window. Next, click on Applications and highlight the program you want to close, and click on End Task. You should try closing any other applications here before you install or launch the game to see if this resolves any problems you're having with the game.

If you have more than one CD/DVD drive on the system, try installing and playing the game using the other drive.If you still receive a CRC error when attempting to install the game in Windows XP, please try disabling DMA transfer mode on your drive, temporarily, as follows:

Click OK and close the Device Manager and click OK on the System Properties window.

Restart your computer and attempt to install the game once more. If the game installs and plays correctly now, you should go back through the above steps and reverse the changes back to their original settings.

If you still encounter the CRC error then you may have a bad CD or there may be a problem with your CD/DVD drive which is resulting in disc read errors.

Note: We do not recommend making any changes to your system without first contacting your computer manufacturer about the configuration of your computer.

If you still have trouble installing the game, then you may have a defective game CD. We would suggest that you try exchanging the game for another copy from the store where you purchased the game. If they will not replace the game for you, you can send the CD(s) to us for replacement. There is a 90-day warranty on all of our games. During this period you may return a defective CD and receive a free replacement (please send a dated copy of the proof of purchase). If it has been more than 90 days since the date of purchase you can send in the defective CD(s) plus a check or money order to cover replacement costs (shipping & handling is already included). We charge $20 for a replacement CD or set of CD’s for a single game. Send the CD(s) and payment (if out-of-warranty) to: